Tips on transitioning to a raw food diet

Wanting to transition to a raw food diet? Either you’re a newbie trying to figure out the hows of effectively switching to an entirely different lifestyle, or a raw fooder who’s been falling off and on the wagon. But transitioning to raw food quite commonly poses as a challenge for many. You have to break those junk-eating habits and turn away from the cooked food life you’ve been used to.

I wouldn’t say there’s an absolute formula for the most effective lifestyle shift. But it takes a bit of time to learn and adapt to a new habit, and here are some of my useful tips on transitioning to raw food diet.

Start slow

There are some people (like me!) who just out of the blue turn a complete 180 and totally go raw overnight. While it may work for a few people, most find it hard to keep at it and eventually fall back to their comfort non-raw food. Others just give up and think it impossible to accomplish. (Or worse, put off starting all together!)

But you don't have to just suddenly abandon your non-raw food lifestyle when you decide to explore raw veganism. It’s actually helpful to start slow and help your body get accustomed to the changes by simply gradually adding more fruits and vegetables to your meals day by day. Keep a slow and steady pace and before you realize it, you’re tastebuds are searching for more greens, and your fridge is stocked with nothing but fresh raw produce.

Get a food processor and a blender

Living on a raw food lifestyle requires using only a few specific kitchen tools. Two of the most vital and very helpful equipment you will need when transitioning to raw foods are a food processor and a good blender. Believe me, these trusty devices will save you so much time and trouble, especially if you’re the type of person who’d rather not spend too much time in the kitchen.

But when you have good equipment, whipping up your own delicious raw dish can actually be just as speedy as dialing your favorite take-out number. If you get a food processor and a blender, all those chopping and grinding times will be reduced to just a few seconds. You can just dump the ingredients of your favorite quick and easy raw food recipes in them and be done in no time.

So if you think that your reasons for having a difficult time transitioning is because raw food is too bothersome and time consuming to prepare, then you probably need to consider investing in these two pieces of equipment. Check out my list of recommended raw food appliances here.

Start with a recipe that appeals to you

When it comes to food, we normally choose to eat recipes that are tasty and look very appetizing to us. It’s the same with raw food. It’s just that most of us have had this common preconceived idea we grew up with that healthy food is yucky but good for the body.

Well, you don’t have to force yourself to eat what you hate. If you don’t like spinach, don't eat it at all, or turn it into something very appetizing (like a delicious silky green smoothie, perhaps).

And if you find junk food tempting, just find a raw food recipe that really pulls you in. Find the flavor that your palate likes best. There’s a whole lot of variety you can choose from. Check out my big list of simple, satisfying raw food recipes here.

Start with a dessert

Most temptations start with desserts. And many people’s weaknesses include desserts, including mine. The best part of the raw vegan lifestyle is that there are tons of raw food dessert recipes – and they’re divine!

So if you have a sweet tooth, raw desserts are the perfect recipes you can start infusing into your daily diet. Most of them are very quick and simple, too. Even if you eat a bit of non-raw food during your meals in the first stages of your transition, you can at least start diving into raw food through desserts.

Keep going

Remember that you’re not alone in your journey. Find your closest support group or seek like minds through online communities for raw vegans that share your passion. (Don't have a community? You are welcome to join The Rawtarian's Kitchen.)

Even if you fall back once in a while, it always helps to simply charge forward again and continue to have fun living the raw food lifestyle. Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Are you ready to transition?

Don’t you think these tips on transitioning to raw food diet are quite simple? Just keep the basics in mind: no need to rush it, make it simple, don’t force it, and have fun! Do you have any tips to share regarding your own transition to raw foods?